Earlier today, Greenpeace handed over the names of over 88,000 people to Environment and Climate Change Minister, Mark Butler, calling on the Australian Government to save the Great Barrier Reef from the threats of coal port developments and climate change.

This included the names of 33,872 people outraged at at the proposal currently being considered to rip up 3 million cubic metres of seabed at Abbot Point to make way for more monster coal ships.

Destructive dredging and dumping on the Reef threatens the homes of turtles, dugongs and rare snubfin dolphins. What’s more, it paves the way for Australia’s coal exports to be driven sky high, setting back by years our fight for climate change.

It is clear the coal export industry has a very real used by date on it, so the last thing Minister Butler should do is approve the destruction of this area through dredging and the creation of huge industrial infrastructure that will become stranded assets sooner rather than later.

The decisions confronting Mark Butler makes in the coming weeks could have huge implications for climate change and the future of the Great Barrier Reef. Together, we can show him that Australians want our Reef to stay beautiful.